A truck driver application

Plannify is a web application designed specifically for truck drivers, enabling them to log their daily activities and generate personalized reports. The platform also aims to facilitate communication with employers, streamlining the management of working hours, routes, and other essential tasks.

Why is it a personal project ?

When I was in my second year of university, my father asked me to print blank papers with a specific format for his truck driver activities. As a programmer, I thought it would be more efficient to create a web application that could generate these reports automatically. This idea led to the development of Plannify, which has since evolved into a comprehensive tool for truck drivers.

Today, Plannify has daily users and is actively used by my father and his colleagues. The application continues to grow, with plans to add more features and improve the user experience.

Features

The main features of Plannify include:

• Daily Activity Logging: Truck drivers can easily enter their daily activities, including working hours, rest periods and overnight stays.

  Attribute	Type	Description
  date	date	The date of the day
  startTime	hour	The start time of the day
  endTime	hour or undefined	The end time of the day
  restTime	hour	The total rest time taken during the day
  overnightStay	boolean	Indicates whether the driver stayed overnight

• Report Generation: Users can generate monthly reports based on their logged activities, which can be exported in PDF format.

• Employer Connection (currently in development): The application aims to provide a connection with employers, allowing them to manage working hours, routes, and other relevant information more efficiently.

• User-Friendly Application: Plannify is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, ensuring that truck drivers can quickly log their activities without any hassle. And I think human must be at the center of the application, so I try to make it as simple as possible without hidding weird behaviors.

Technologies Used

Plannify is built using modern web technologies, including:

• Frontend: React, TypeScript, and TailwindCSS for a responsive and user-friendly interface.
• Backend: NestJS with Prisma and PostgreSQL for robust data management and server-side logic.
• File Storage: MinIO for secure file storage and management.
• Containerization: Docker for easy deployment and scalability.
• Orchestration: Kubernetes for managing containerized applications and ensuring high availability.
• CI/CD: GitLab CI for continuous integration and deployment, ensuring that updates are rolled out smoothly.
• Monitoring: Argocd and Helm for managing deployments and scheduled tasks.
• Email Notifications: A mail server for sending notifications and updates to users.
• Cron Jobs: Scheduled tasks for automated report generation, account management and other periodic activities.

I also used the PWA (Progressive Web App) features to allow users to install the application on their devices and use it as a native mobile application.

Automation and Deployment

Environments

I have set up multiple environments for Plannify to ensure smooth development, testing, and production processes:

• Staging: A staging environment for testing new features and updates before they go live.
• Production: The live environment where users access the application.

CI

Plannify uses GitLab CI for continuous integration, ensuring that code changes are automatically tested and deployed.

For the frontend, I have a pipeline that checks the code quality (linting), builds the application and stores the build artifacts in the GitLab registry. For the backend, like the frontend, I have the same pipeline and I also run the tests to ensure that everything is working as expected.

CD

For continuous deployment, I use ArgoCD to manage the deployment of the application to the staging and production environments. This allows for automated rollouts and rollbacks, ensuring that updates are deployed smoothly without downtime. Thats allows me to pratice the GitOps principles.

Helm

I use Helm to manage the Kubernetes deployments of Plannify. Helm charts allow me to define, install, and upgrade the application in a consistent manner across different environments. This simplifies the deployment process and ensures that all dependencies are managed effectively.

Automations

Sending Reports

I have implemented a kubernetes cron job to automate the generation and sending of reports. This job runs at the beginning of each month, generating reports for users who agreed to receive them. The reports are then sent via email, ensuring that users have access to their activity summaries without needing to manually generate them.

Account Management

I have also set up a cron job to manage user accounts. This job runs daily and delete accounts that have not been logged into for more than 6 months. This helps maintain the application’s performance and ensures that user data is managed responsibly.

Backups

Data backups are crucial for any application, and Plannify is no exception. I have implemented a backup strategy that includes:

• Database Backups: Regular backups of the PostgreSQL database to ensure that user data is safe and can be restored in case of any issues.
• File Storage Backups: Backups of files stored in MinIO to prevent data loss in case of hardware failures or other issues.

Each backup is stored securely in a separate location to ensure data integrity and availability. I also have a cron job that runs daily to create these backups, ensuring that the application can recover quickly in case of any unexpected events.

Future Plans

I want to continue improving Plannify and add a link between employers and employees. This will allow a better visibility for truck drivers and their daily activities, and will also help employers manage their workforce more effectively.

I also plan to continue offering the application for free and without any ads, as I believe it’s important to provide a valuable tool for truck drivers without any financial barriers.

Conclusion

Plannify is my main personal project, and I’m proud of the progress it has made since its inception. The application has evolved from a simple idea into a comprehensive tool that is actively used by truck drivers. I’m excited about the future of Plannify and the potential it has to make a positive impact on the lives of truck drivers.